BBC - Films - High Noon - 18th February 2004

		Smith Goes Green Clerks creator Kevin Smith will direct an all-action adaptation of comic book The Green Hornet. The titular character - who first appeared in a 1936 radio series - is a millionaire publisher who moonlights as a masked vigilante, with the help of his kung fu sidekick Kato (played by Bruce Lee in the 60s TV series). Smith hopes to start shooting at the end of the summer and is eyeing George Clooney, who was linked to the role years ago, to topline. Miramax is providing the money.

		Sex In The Cinema No, not some sordid episode from High Noon's past (chance would be a fine thing), but news that TV series Sex And The City is heading for the big screen. Yes, just when many of us thought we were safe from the simpering, self-involved pseudo-dilemmas of the cod-philosophising Manhattan socialites whose faux-emotional vomit clogs up Channel 4's Friday nights (something tells us Nev doesn't like it - Ed), writer-director Michael Patrick is working on a feature. Deals are being struck for stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and Kim Cattrall. And, let's face it, they're not going to say no given the sorry state of their movie careers.

		The Boston Wrangler Following the Oscar attention given to In America, writer-director Jim Sheridan is planning another film in the States. Sheridan explains that the film will focus on the Irish-American experience in Boston "around the time of the advent of television. The kids are sick of hearing about the potato famine. Everyone is fascinated by the mythical rise of the Kennedy family. What America did for the Irish is allow them to focus on the living." Sheridan hopes to secure big stars for the the to-be-titled project, saying, "It's such a tough job making films without having any stars. I thought for once I would switch one of my stories to Boston and have the younger-generation American and the older-generation Irish, thereby opening up the prospect of using bankable US names that would help in financing." And do really good Irish accents, obviously.

		Castle Besieged The press, eh? What a pack of eeevil, unprincipled bar stewards we are. Or at least the New Zealand press, according to the "people" of Oscar-nominated Whale Rider sprog Keisha Castle-Hughes. Apparently, the schoolgirl actress has been hounded by reporters and paparazzi. Her agent, Graham Dunster, says the star "has been saddened and distressed by the way some media have chosen to pursue her. As a result it has strengthened her resolve to keep her private life private." This resolve involves ignoring the New Zealand meeja in the run-up the Oscars. "It is important to me that she isn't put in a position of mental or physical danger," Dunster continued, stating what some might call The Obvious. "We don't want to move her to a safe house and bus her around." Quite right. When Uncle High Noon was a nipper, we were made to walk.

		Seagal Shake Down Steven Seagal, it seems, isn't off his chump. When the portly action star claimed a while back that the mob was trying to shake him down, we chuckled and thought it another fantasy of the bone-breaking Buddhist. However, now his former business partner Julius Nasso has copped a plea, admitting he did indeed plot to have mobsters put the squeeze on the star. Nasso has been sent down for a year and a day, ordered to take mental health counselling, and pay a $75,000 fine. Personally, we'd make him watch Seagal's films on a loop. The latest, Belly Of The Beast, is the best bad movie we've seen in yonks.

		Stallone Knocked Out Poor ol' Sly. One minute you're a megabuck action hero saving Afghanistan from the Commies and beating hell out of them in the ring, then you're starring in Avenging Angelo and reduced to accepting TV work. Yes, Rocky is heading for the small screen, of sorts, with Sylvester Stallone signing to feature in a reality TV Survivor-style series about amateur boxers. Details TBC, but could be a laugh.

		Law Change Jude Law could have an unexpected holiday coming up, with romantic drama Tulip Fever in trouble. The John Madden-directed pic, which co-stars Keira Knightley, has been hit hard by the Inland Revenue's snap decision to outlaw key tax funds. Producers fear they'll have to close down the production this week, unless alternate funds can be found... After years of making come hither eyes at Disney, the Jim Henson Company has flogged the Muppets to the Mouse House. The $60 million deal means Kermit, Miss Piggy, et al will probably pop up at Disneyland, as well as be mercilessly exploited for commercial gain through computer games, more toys, and (probably) an animated feature... Surfing on the critical success of The Cooler, South African filmmaker Wayne Kramer is trying to tie up a deal to direct The Sleeping Detective, the tale of a narcoleptic private eye, likely to star William H Macy. In the meantime, he'll direct mob pic Running Scared... Following the impressive, $45-million US opening for 50 First Dates, director Peter Segal has been snapped up to direct Adam Sandler in his remake of Burt Reynolds classic (yes, you read that right) The Longest Yard... It's been confirmed, after months of rumours, that Tina Turner will star as the Hindu goddess Shakti in Merchant Ivory production The Goddess. We couldn't - and wouldn't want to - make it up.